Publish to Newswire
Add an EventFrom the Open-Publishing Calendar
From the Open-Publishing Newswire
Indybay Feature
OC Panel decides on further study of medical marijuana ID cards
The Orange County Board of Supervisors today decided further study is needed on whether the county should issue ID cards for medical marijuana patients and instead ordered the health agency to draft a policy and bring it back in three months.
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Panel decides on further study of medical marijuana ID cards
Board of Supervisors to revisit issue in three months
By PEGGY LOWE
The Orange County Register
The Orange County Board of Supervisors today decided further study is needed on whether the county should issue ID cards for medical marijuana patients and instead ordered the health agency to draft a policy and bring it back in three months.
After nearly four hours of testimony and debate, board members at first failed to support even the draft ordinance. But they then resurrected it and added another study list of potential issues, including law enforcement's role, a survey of other counties' health agencies and a look at the progress of San Diego's test of the state law.
An exasperated Chris Norby, the board's chair, argued that the board had a moral imperative to offer relief to suffering, ill people and to provide a leadership role in implementing a state law.
"They're asking us to make them law-abiders, not law-breakers," he said of the many people who spoke in favor of the law, saying marijuana helped their pain and wasting diseases when other drugs failed.
Supervisor Janet Nguyen, in one of her first votes since being sworn in on March 27, voted against the plan, saying cannabis is still illegal under federal law. She also wants to wait to see what happens to a lawsuit filed by San Diego County, which sued the state because it doesn't want to implement the ID card program.
"I think it's prudent for us to monitor the outcome of the decision before taking action," Nguyen said.
Attorney William Paoli, who has threatened to sue the county if the program is not created, said he was happy with the decision as it showed at least some progress.
District Attorney Tony Rackauckas testified against the cards, saying it will allow people to use marijuana at any time and all under a county-approved process. People who just want to "escape from the realities of life and get high for a while" will have an official license, he said.
"It's going to increase the demand for marijuana in our county substantially. So where are they going to get it?" Rack said. "Are we going to be supporting drug cartels by increasing the demand for marijuana in Orange County?"
But James Kapko, a Yorba Linda man who suffers from multiple sclerosis, testified from his wheelchair that the state's medical marijuana program has many safeguards. He got his doctor's approval -- and that doctor checked with two other specialists. And when Kapko bought his cannabis at a dispensary, the vendor called two of his doctors.
"They don't just hand out marijuana by the bucketful," he said. "It's not going to just be a wild free-for-all."
Contact the writer: (714) 285-2862 or plowe [at] ocregister.com
Panel decides on further study of medical marijuana ID cards
Board of Supervisors to revisit issue in three months
By PEGGY LOWE
The Orange County Register
The Orange County Board of Supervisors today decided further study is needed on whether the county should issue ID cards for medical marijuana patients and instead ordered the health agency to draft a policy and bring it back in three months.
After nearly four hours of testimony and debate, board members at first failed to support even the draft ordinance. But they then resurrected it and added another study list of potential issues, including law enforcement's role, a survey of other counties' health agencies and a look at the progress of San Diego's test of the state law.
An exasperated Chris Norby, the board's chair, argued that the board had a moral imperative to offer relief to suffering, ill people and to provide a leadership role in implementing a state law.
"They're asking us to make them law-abiders, not law-breakers," he said of the many people who spoke in favor of the law, saying marijuana helped their pain and wasting diseases when other drugs failed.
Supervisor Janet Nguyen, in one of her first votes since being sworn in on March 27, voted against the plan, saying cannabis is still illegal under federal law. She also wants to wait to see what happens to a lawsuit filed by San Diego County, which sued the state because it doesn't want to implement the ID card program.
"I think it's prudent for us to monitor the outcome of the decision before taking action," Nguyen said.
Attorney William Paoli, who has threatened to sue the county if the program is not created, said he was happy with the decision as it showed at least some progress.
District Attorney Tony Rackauckas testified against the cards, saying it will allow people to use marijuana at any time and all under a county-approved process. People who just want to "escape from the realities of life and get high for a while" will have an official license, he said.
"It's going to increase the demand for marijuana in our county substantially. So where are they going to get it?" Rack said. "Are we going to be supporting drug cartels by increasing the demand for marijuana in Orange County?"
But James Kapko, a Yorba Linda man who suffers from multiple sclerosis, testified from his wheelchair that the state's medical marijuana program has many safeguards. He got his doctor's approval -- and that doctor checked with two other specialists. And when Kapko bought his cannabis at a dispensary, the vendor called two of his doctors.
"They don't just hand out marijuana by the bucketful," he said. "It's not going to just be a wild free-for-all."
Contact the writer: (714) 285-2862 or plowe [at] ocregister.com
For more information:
http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/homep...
We are 100% volunteer and depend on your participation to sustain our efforts!
Donate
$210.00 donated
in the past month
Get Involved
If you'd like to help with maintaining or developing the website, contact us.
Publish
Publish your stories and upcoming events on Indybay.
Topics
More
Search Indybay's Archives
Advanced Search
►
▼
IMC Network
Carona: We don't need no stinking cards
So after all that testimony and debate, here's another one of the bombshells from today's hearing on the medical marijuana ID cards.
A representative of Sheriff Mike Carona said if patients get the IDs, the sheriff won’t change his current policy and will continue to confiscate the marijuana and the prescription-like paperwork. And that’s despite earlier testimony from District Attorney Tony Rack that he doesn’t prosecute those cited for marijuana possession if they have the proper medical documentation.
-- Peggy Lowe
Assistant Sheriff Steve Bishop was testifying for the sheriff. He said that right now, sheriff's patrol officers will confiscate any marijuana found and will also take the patient's paperwork. They then pass all that onto the DA for him to decide whether he wants to prosecute the person. That's not going to change if the card program is implemented, Bishop said, as you'd be asking us to ignore the federal law that says marijuana is illegal.
So in effect, Carona said cards be damned and we're going to do business as usual. Supe Pat Bates then identified the obvious: "With implementation, we've done nothing."
This news seemed to surprise Supe Chris Norby, who was already openly exasperated at the debate. Hey, the DA was already here this morning telling us he opposed this plan. If Carona felt so strongly about it, at least he could have attended the hearing, Norby said.
"The sheriff never hesitates to make his strong views known," Norby said.
-- Peggy Lowe
Posted at 04:35 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack